With fighter-wife, Strikeforce Challengers 18's Gurgel maturing in and out of cage

Over the years, he’s developed a reputation as a guy who fights to his own detriment at times – one who abandons his formidable skills on the ground in favor of more aesthetically pleasing ventures on the feet. It’s certainly entertaining to the eyes of the casual fan, but it’s not always the best recipe for victory.

The Ohio-based Gurgel (14-7 MMA, 2-2 SF) puts it on the line again tonight against fellow lightweight Joe Duarte (9-2 MMA, 1-0 SF). The pair headlines Strikeforce Challengers 18, which takes place at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The main card airs on Showtime.

“It’s not like I’m going to change,” Gurgel told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “I have trained extensively in my striking, Muay Thai for this fight. I’ve been doing Muay Thai for over 10 years.

“Don’t get me wrong. Jorge Gurgel is going to show up Friday, and he’s going to meet Joe Duarte in the center. But if I have a chance to snap some arms or squeeze some necks, I’ll do that.”

Easier said than done, of course.

Historically, the second-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Gurgel has continually reverted back to a predominant kickboxing strategy once the cage door closes. And it’s led to a mixed bag of results.

“I fell in love with Muay Thai and turned everything into somewhat of a pissing contest,” Gurgel said. “I got rightfully released by the UFC (in 2007) by fighting down to my opponents’ level and not to my full abilities.

“Everybody that has trained with me – especially my students or Rich (Franklin) himself, Matt Brown, Dustin Hazelett (and) all the guys that train with me – they are the ones that get more frustrated. They know what I can do when I get people down to the ground.”

It’s almost like an addiction he has not yet fully been able to shake.

The good news is Gurgel has started to show signs of evolution at the age of 34. In his most recent fight, he recorded his first submission win since 2005 with a first-round guillotine choke of Billy Vaughn in March at “Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson.”

His transformation, not coincidentally, has also run parallel with a positive development in his personal life. Gurgel married Zoila Frausto, the current Bellator women’s 115-pound champion, in February. It’s safe to say she has had a big influence in all aspects of his life.

“I never thought I needed extra motivation,” Gurgel said. “I didn’t need it, but Zoila is such a blessing in my life. It’s made me even have a more intelligent approach to the fight game.

“She was built for this game. She has the right mindset for the fighting game. She has the work ethic, that unmatched work ethic. She gives the support I need and vice versa. We are always on the same page.”

The couple initially met in November 2009 while they fulfilled behind-the-scenes promotional obligations related to Strikeforce Challengers 4.

“It was almost like the butterfly effect,” Gurgel said. “It was very weird. I was walking out of a photo shoot. My favorite color has always been hot pink. It’s very weird. She walked in the photo shoot with this pink skirt – like this gladiator pink skirt, black and pink.

“I just looked over and Kru Mark DellaGrotte was with me. I looked over and said, ‘I like your skirt.’ She looked at me and said, ‘Well, maybe I’ll let you borrow it sometime.’ And that was it.”

They tied the knot 15 months later.

“She turned the page in my book and made me a better fighter and a better man,” Gurgel said.

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